- If you order from multiple signings at once, your books will be shipped when the last signing ends. If you want your books to ship as they are released, please order them separately and pay appropriate shipping.

- Please double check to be sure you are ordering the correct book. Once the signing has ended and an order has been placed with the bookstore, we cannot change your order.

- We cannot be expected to notice if you accidentally order twice. If you think you have ordered but aren't sure, feel free to email us and we will check for you. Refunds will NOT be issued if you notice after the refund deadline has passed.

- Books will be signed around the author's schedule, therefore, we cannot *always* ship your order the day the book releases. This is a fluid process that will vary from signing to signing.

June 19, 2012

Black City by Elizabeth Richards -- Interview & Giveaway!

Hi GCReaders!

I recently got the chance to interview the author of BLACK CITY, Elizabeth Richards, and I am dying to share this interview with everyone. BLACK CITY was such a GREAT READ and if you read my review below you'll know just how much love I have for this book.

I am also sharing my copy of Black City with one lucky follower today! I wish I had millions to share, but unfortunately I just have one :-(.

Well, I’m a book lover and sci-fi geek, who spends her life walking around in a daydream, fantasizing about supernatural boys and post-apocalyptic worlds! I started my writing career as a journalist reviewing videogames before moving into travel editing, despite the fact I suck at geography and suffer from terrible travel sickness. Clearly it was time for a career change, and so I decided to try my hand at writing a novel, which was something I’d always wanted to do.

Black City is my debut novel, due out on 13 November 2012. Here’s the official synopsis:

A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love.

Bonded by a mysterious connection, that causes Ash’s long dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.

When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

2. What was the writing process like for Black City?

It’s been a real rollercoaster ride, that’s for sure. I’m the type of author who agonises over every word and constantly revisits scenes and revises them over and over, obsessing over the simplest line, until I’m happy with it. So in that sense it was a lot of hard, painstaking work. But I’ve enjoyed every second of it! Writing Black City was an absolute joy, especially working with my awesome editor, Stacey Barney, at Putnam/Penguin. She’s a miracle worker!

On a more technical level, I started writing the first draft of Black City back in Fall 2009...argh, god, was it really that long ago? Time has flown by! Anyway, I digress. That draft took around 5 months to write and then I redrafted it about a trillion times, based on feedback from my Beta readers, before querying agents. I then revised the MS again, based on my agent’s feedback and then, of course, the book’s had to go through the whole editing process at Putnam, which includes redrafting, revising, line edits, copyedits, first pass pages...you name it! It takes an awful lot of blood, sweat and tears to get a manuscript up to scratch, but it’s well worth the effort in the long-run.

3. Black City is told from two different point of views. Did you know that you wanted to write the book this way? Or was it something that just happened?

I always wanted to write it this way, as it was important for me to get inside Natalie’s head so readers could understand her motivations better...and also because I wanted to write the kissing scenes from her point of view, so I could describe Ash through her eyes! But I’ve always been a fan of dual narratives. It’s not to everyone’s tastes, but I love seeing two (or more) sides of the story.

4. It seems today that most authors have a soundtrack to their book. Was there a specific album and/or song that helped you while writing?

I love bands like Within Temptation and was listening to them a lot when I was writing Black City, and I think it comes through in the novel with its dark, gothic vibe. When I was doing the last set of revisions, I was also listening to the band Two Steps From Hell, and I think their song Freedom Fighters is a great theme for Black City.

However, I’m in a very fortunate position that my sister is a composer, and she’s been writing a soundtrack for Black City, which I’ll have up on my website nearer to the launch of the book, and I think those songs really capture the essence of the series.

5. What do you hope readers will get after reading Black City?

I really hope that they’re left breathless and want to immediately reread the book, just so they can experience the story all over again! I also hope readers fall in love with the characters, the way I did, and want to find out what happens next.

6. Is Black City a series, or is it a stand alone?

Black City is the first book in the Black City Chronicles. In total, there will be three books in the series, and I’m currently drafting book 3! The following two books will be released in quick succession, so you won’t have to wait long to read the next book in the series.

7. Can you share a small sneak peek into Black City for our followers?

I can do one better! Since Black City was selected as one of Penguin’s Fall 2012 Breathless Reads, you can read a sample of Black City on the official Breathless Reads Facebook fan page - https://www.facebook.com/breathlessreads/app_190322544333196. The sample also includes chapters from the other Breathless Reads books - Venom, Origin, The Innocents and Falling Kingdoms - so it’s well worth a read.

Thank you Elizabeth so much for taking the time to answer my questions. By the way... one, I love Within Temptation. Two, I was left breathless and want to reread Black City like 500 times. Three, I am so happy we don't have to wait very long for the sequel! *Squee* Okay done. LOL

I am giving away an advance copy of Black City! To enter all you have to do is follow the Rafflecopter below.

* US ONLY
* Must be 13 or older to enter this giveaway.
* Follow Rafflecopter
* Contest Ends June 26th
* Winner has 48 hours to respond to email and claim their book.
* Winner will be announced on our Facebook and Twitter page.

I'm intrigue...It's been a while since I've read a post-apocalyptic with two povs. I usually satisfied with one, but we'll have to see how two perspectives shape the story.I'm glad glad glad that she is currently working on Book 3. I'm usually so impatient when waiting for the next book in a series to come out. I can't wait to read this!

I really am looking forward to this book and love that it is a series. After reading the synopsis it sounds like it will need multiple books, it seems too deep for just one book. Oh and I love reading dark romance books so that is so awesome.

This sounds silly, but I never realized how much work went into writing a book AFTER it's written! Whew! Also, I love that the books will be released in quick succession. :) Great interview! Thank you!

Great interview! I love the questions about the soundtrack for the book. It's so cool that her sister is composing a soundtrack - I can't wait to hear it. I'm also glad to hear that this is the first of a series. Can't wait to read it!!

I didn't know that Black City was from different POVs I love when books are told from multiple perspectives it gives more to the plot and makes books great reads. Great interview! I can't wait for Black City to come out! Thanks for the chance at this great giveaway!

I have been wanting to read this book the moment I saw the cover and I'm so glad it won't be a stand alone!! Also, I'm thrilled that this book has two different POVs! I love those type of books! I have a feeling this book is going to be AMAZEBALLS and that it's going to become one of my all time favs :D

She had my dream job! I am really excited to read Black City after reading this interview. It seems like it will be pretty exciting, the "after the bloody war" part got me hooked. I will be waiting to see how it is written.

I can't wait to own this book! I remember a few months back there was a blog tour featuring it and I read the first chapter and I could not wait for more. It grabbed me and I was so sad that that was all for then. I'm gonna look into seeing when the next two books will be released, maybe I can try to hold myself back from reading this so I can read them closer to the third's release and have my fill of this amazing story with hardly any wait, hahha.

Hi i can't wait to read this book and i am so happy that it only will take a short while for the next books to come out. I hate waiting yearss for the next book. I am happy you got into writing it sound really what you really what to do. I wish i knew how to start to write. I guess i am just afraid to. Thanks for the giveaway Joannie

I was reading different posts and catching up today and came across the review for Black City, hopped over and added to my wishlist and requested it be released for Kindle. Then I found this awesome giveaway opportunity. Well guess who has their fingers crossed LOL. This is a new book for me and I am already on the bandwagon; its sounds awesome. Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us and for the lovely giveaway opportunity.

The interview was great. I love reading author interviews. They can show you a different side of a book. Who shaped the novel and sometimes how a novel has shaped its author. Elizabeth Richards seems like a truly great person. She seems humble, yet proud of the work that she has done. It is also brave to stick with something, such as the dual viewpoints, especially when so many people don't like that style. She did what was in her head and her heart, and that rocks. I, personally, like the different perspectives dual viewpoints can give you. I cannot wait to read Black City.Won or bought. Thanks for posting this interview, and thank you for the giveaway!

Elizabeth offered some really interesting insight into her drafting process! I didn't realize books had to go through *that* many revisions. That makes me have even more respect for authors. Going through that many revisions seems exhausting!

I'm glad to hear that the next books will be out quickly. Waiting a year just kills me! LOL It sounds great. It is on my TBR list (which is a million miles long) thanks to great books that just keep coming out! Can't wait to read it!

i feel like i've been waiting for this book forever! i've been hearing so many good things about it for so long and i cannot wait to finally read it : ) it's good to know i won't have to wait as long for the next one because i'm sure i'll want it like immediately!!

Oh, I'm so excited for this book! It sounds totally amazing. It's really cool that the author's sister is composing an original soundtrack for the book, too. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing it. :D

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